Improvement in vertical telegraph-keys



A. B. SHEARER. Improvement in Vertical Telegraph-Keys. 131,306.

Patented Sep.10,1872.

Inventor Witnesses w. Mora-umucmmm va/ux (swam/E's M00553) LI: Srnrns PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR B. SHEARER, or DAVISVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VERTICAL TELEGRAPH-KEYS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,306, dated September 10, 1872.

srnomrcnrron.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. SHEARER,

of Davisville, county of Yolo, State of (Jalifornia, have invented a Telegraphic Signal Key and I do hereby declare the followingdescription and accompanying drawing are sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art 'or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention or improvement without further invention or experiment.

I My invention relates to a telegraphic signalkey, of novel construction, which will be more direct in its action, and its operation more positive than the usual leverkey, which is mounted upon a horizontal axis. The especial novelty connected with my invention is its vertical arrangement by which the action and reaction of the key are freely produced without danger of an imperfect response to the manipulation of the operator.

In order to explain my invention so that its construction and operation can be understood by others, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of my device. Fig. 2 is a top view of the plate and attachments. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stems and a.

Let A represent the table. B is a baseplate, which I secure upon the table A, and upon the plate I secure a short upright guideblock, (3, one side of which is cut away, as shown. This block has a hole passing down through it, which also extends through the plate and table. A vertical groove or channel is made upon each side of the hole, and a slot, e, extends from top to bottom, communicating with the fiat side. A bar, f, extends down below the table a short distance in line with one side of the hole through the guide-block, and has at its lower end a foot, y, through which a hole, 6, is made. The key consists of a stem, j, to the upper end of which the knob. or finger plate K is secured. The upper end of the stem is just large enough to fit it in the hole in the guide-block, and a narrow flange or rib, 0, extends out from its opposite sides, which fit in the vertical grooves above mentioned, and in which they move as guides in the manner of a slide. A short section of the body of the stem is cut away between these ribs, leaving only a short connecting portion, a, at the upper end, to which the knob K is secured by a screw, p, which passes down through its center, so that its lower end will extend into the cut-away opening. Below the table the stem j is formed into downward-projecting hooks or teeth q, and its lower extremity is made small enough to pass through thehole in the foot 9. A spring, 2, (represented as a'spiral spring in the present case,) is secured to the under side of, the table and loops over' one of the teeth q, according to the tension desired, and serves to retract the key when the pressure is removed. A short stud or tube, 8, is also secured to the table directly in front of the flattened face of the block 0. A vertical slot,

t, is made in the side of this tube opposite the slot 0 in the block 0. A short stem, at, from which an arm, 12, extends, is placed in this tube, so that the arm 0: will pass through both of the slots t and e, and into the opening in the upper end of the stem j. This stem is secured in the tube by a set-screw, w, and the arm regulates the amount of movement of the key. as is the switch. The wire connections are made underneath the table in the usual manner.

By this means I provide a telegraphic signal-key which moves vertically in a slide, with all of the necessary appointments for convenience in operating, thus securing greater freedom of movement and less liability to missma-king the connection by an improper vibration, as is often the case with the leverkey. The device is simple and not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat cut, is-

justable stem u, with its arm a), substantially as and for the purpose above described.

5. A telegraphic signal-key, arranged to be operated vertically in a guide-block, 0, subgtantially as described for the purpose speci- In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this 4th day of June, 1872.

ARTHUR BENTON SHEA-REE. [L s.] Witnesses:

J AGOB HORNING,

J ULIUs A. KINSMAN. 

